Ronnie294

Basic Salary 147,600 AED/YR
Housing Allowance 110,700 AED/YR
Living Allowance 110,700 AED/YR
Education Allowance 20,000 AED per child per year

hope this helps, wasn't smoke and mirrors, just didn't think all of package was relevant as I genuinely thought housing allowance was good! I have couple of friends working for the same company in Abu Dhabi and they reckoned it was good as the rent is cheaper in Dubai!

mikewot

I meant that how companies out here calculate pay is smoke and mirrors. My basic salary comprises 1/3rd of my actual salary. Similar to your breakdown although I have personal allowance not living allowance.
You should think about 150k for accomodation to get somewhere decent on a school bus run. 20k each per child is very low, I think fees are more like 50k each. Unless you send to an Indian school.

mikewot

Adding everything together the bottom line is 409k. Subtract housing and schooling leaves 159k or roughly 30k GBP tax free 2,500 monthly.

scrubbedexpat141

What do you do for a job?

DXBtoDOH

Your package works out to 34K a month.

For a British family of four it's pretty lowish. You can certainly live on it but you'd have to be careful.

School fees for standard British schools run about 50K for the primary years and go up from there. There are cheaper schools but they usually come with a catch. 20K is what you'd be paying for the Indian schools.

Not sure why your AD mates thought the housing allowance was good. I work in AD and even down here we know that 110K isn't sufficient for a decent villa in Dubai. A 2-bedroom apartment? Sure.

You can probably find a small villa in Mirdiff for 130-150K. Let's assume it's 150K. Add 100K in school fees for two girls. That's 250K of your salary spent on the spot. It leaves you with 15K a month to cover utilities, transportation, food, entertainment and so on. It's doable but if you want to build up any savings you'd have to be careful and realistic.

My advice: get an apartment. Villas are always more expensive to rent and more expensive to operate due to much higher utilities. At least for your first year take an apartment to minimise your expenses and get a grip on how expensive this country really is. After your first year, when you'll have a much better idea of costs and your spending habits, then move to a villa if you decide it's feasible.

Millhouse

2k a month on utilities for a villa - at least in my experience (with the housing fee).

If you're going to do it - move to an apartment to start with and see how things work out. 34k a month will sustain apartment living, but not villa living.

Are the kids in school?

jam25mack

Agreed, 34K for a family is low. I wouldn't want to do it. As folk have said go for a reasonable apartment in somewhere like Mirdif where rents are cheaper. There are several expat schools there so travel time is reasonable although traffic is a bit of a mare at rush hour.

Give it a year and see where you stand.

And kick your Mrs out to get a job. Even an extra 15k a month would make a huge difference.

Ronnie294

I Have a 4 yr old who will start primary school in August and a 19 month old.
Would be looking to get into British Schools.

Ronnie294

my job is Aviaition Life Support Equipment Technician.

Millhouse

budget 40-45k a year for the eldest, and about 35k for the youngest in nursery if that' s the plan.

i think the whole thing is marginal. Give it 18months and these fees will be 50k and 40-45k

don't assume you'll just walk into a school either - start planning and applying now.

scrubbedexpat141

Airport Ambulance Mechanic? I've no idea what that means I'm afraid so can't guide on salary.

Mikewot works with flying stuff, he might be able to help you on that front.

Ronnie294

The reason i was looking at Villas is because my wife has a real fear of living high up with balconies amd small children i.e apartments.

However i have kind of talked her round by finding a couple of ground floor apartments. so we are now looking at apartments.

With regard to missus working she will only do a job that is in line with the profession she has in the UK which is an Environment Protection Officer, she has looked at the UAE equivelent organisation which (a) Doesnt have many job postings and (b) is based down in Abu Dhabi, hence why we were willing to live in the sticks at Sahara Meadows as its closer to Abu Dhabi and my commute is 40 - 45 mins to Al Minhad Air Base!

mikewot

LOL! No I think he means servicing lifejackets, pilots oxygen, smoke hoods that kinda thing on planes. I have no idea on the salaries but I'm guessing based at DXB so Mirdif is most certainly a top spot, if he can stand the noise.

Just seen the location so military stuff like bang seats. OK Al Waha is top of your list, very close to Minhad and mainly low rise apartments i.e. 2 stories with a ground and first floor apartment (1st floor has more room as downstairs 'hosts'the stairs up but downside is no garden), pool, gym etc. The shop on the estate has closed but there is one close by. On the school bus route and easy to get to, if a little off the beaten track. Close by is becoming very busy with estates Mudon, Remraan, Al Quedra and Akoya are all building like crazy. Direct access to town past The Ranches via Uuum Sequiem.

Environmental protection is an interesting one. Dubai boasts (a lot) about being/going green but in reality I am certain they are only talking about more landscaping. However the environment is going to be big time headlines soon (ish, no timescale) because they do need to start walking the walking, not just talking the talk. For certain the airports are going to get hit with environmental KPIs, it's just a matter of when.
Sahara Meadows is not that long a drive to Minhad, I commute either the 311 or 611 every day to DWC airport and its 20 minutes to my place because both roads are 120Kph (but you can do 139 without being flashed by the myriad speed cameras) and little traffic, apart from Green Community Roundabout at certain times of the day but there is a massive job on to fix that. Also they have added another 2 lanes each side to the 311 from Green Community to DWC (it already has 6 lanes each side up to green community). 611 has 6 lanes each side and is pretty empty. The downside being that there is nothing in Sahara meadows, totally isolated from everywhere, no public transport, I didn't even know it was occupied as its just a dot on the horizon from DWC.

Ronnie294

i maintain, repair, test etc aircrew flying kit e.g helmets, liferafts, life preserver jackets, oxygen systems, night vision goggles etc!!

I am leaving the same job in the Royal Air Force for this job!

Ronnie294

No i am at Al Minhad Air Base, but yeah we did look at Mirdif!!

And as for as for standing the noise, see above for I am in the RAF, had years of fighter jets taking of and landing over my house all hours of the day/night!